yāvatā syāt sva-nirvāhaḥ svīkuryāt tāvad artha-vit |
ādhikye nyūnatāyāṁ ca cyavate paramārthataḥ ||
(Nāradīya Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.108)
“One who is sagacious [lit., ‘a knower of utility’] should accept as much as shall be supportive for oneself. One becomes deviated from the ultimate goal as a result of excess and deficiency.”
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam |
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā ||
(Bṛhan-Nāradīya-purāṇa; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 273; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.7.76, 1.17.21, 2.6.242)
“The name of Hari, the name of Hari—certainly the name of Hari alone—in the Age of Kali, there is certainly no, there is certainly no, there is certainly no way otherwise.”
guṇeṣv āviśate ceto guṇāś cetasi ca prajāḥ |
jīvasya deha ubhayaṁ guṇāś ceto mad-ātmanaḥ ||
guṇeṣu cāviśac cittam abhīkṣṇaṁ guṇa-sevayā |
guṇāś ca citta-prabhavā mad-rūpa ubhayaṁ tyajet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.13.25–26)
“[Haṁsa Bhagavān to Sanaka and other sages:] O sons! The mind becomes absorbed in the guṇas [i.e., the sense objects], and the guṇas [become absorbed] in the mind. Both the guṇas and the mind are bodies of [i.e., external adjuncts to] the jīva, who is constituted of me. The mind remains absorbed in the guṇas because of constant attendance to the guṇas, and the guṇas likewise remain strongly apparent in the mind. One who is absorbed in my form can abandon them both.”
śrī-goloke nikhila-paramānanda-pūrāntya-sīma-
gambhīrābdhau janani gamanaṁ sādhaya sva-prayāsaiḥ |
yasmiṁs tās tā vividha-ratayas tena nāthena sākaṁ
yātrā-mātrān madhura-madhurāḥ santataṁ saṅghaṭante ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.75)
“[Mahārāja Parīkṣit:] O Mother, endeavor by your own efforts to go to Śrī Goloka, the deep ocean of the ultimate reaches of the outpouring of the totality of the highest bliss, just by journeying into which those [indescribable] variegated, sweet, sweet delights together with that Nātha [i.e., Śrīmad Madana Gopāladeva] take place constantly [i.e., endeavor to journey there because only there will all your desires be fulfilled to the greatest extent].”
vaireṇa yaṁ nṛpatayaḥ śiśupāla-pauṇḍra-
śālvādayo gati-vilāsa-vilokanādyaiḥ |
dhyāyanta ākṛta-dhiyaḥ śayanāsanādau
tat-sāmyam āpur anurakta-dhiyāṁ punaḥ kim ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.5.48)
“Kings such as Śiśupāla, Pauṇḍraka, and Śālva attained equality with he [i.e., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] whom they meditated upon out of enmity while lying down, sitting, and so forth, their minds imprinted with his movements, play, glances, and so forth. [So,] How much more [is this attainment of equality with him certain to happen in the the case] of those whose minds are attached [to him]?”
tataḥ sā tulasī rūpa-mañjarī ca vaneśvarī |
bhakṣyāṇy urvaritāny āduḥ sevikālī-cayaiḥ samam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 15.142)
“Then, Tulasī, Rūpa Mañjarī,
And the lordess of the forest [i.e., Vṛndā]
Ate the remaining foods
Together with the serving sakhīs.”
śrī-rādhikātha sagaṇā muditopaviṣṭā
kāntādharāmṛtatayā parivāñchitāni |
śrī-rūpa-mañjarikayā ca vaneśayā ca
bhakṣyāṇi tāni bubhuje pariveśitāni ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 15.138)
“Then, Śrī Rādhikā, along with her group,
Delightedly sat and ate the foods,
Which were greatly desired
Because of [their] containing the nectar
From the lips of her beloved,
And were served by Śrī Rūpa Mañjarikā and the lordess of the forest [i.e., Vṛndā].”
yātas tataḥ sa harir ambuja-mandirāntaḥ
śete’tra sat-kusuma-kalpita-talpa-madhye |
tāmbūla-dāna-pada-lālana-vījanādyais
tatra priyālibhir amuṁ tulasī siṣeve ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 15.136)
“Hari then entered the Lotus Pavilion
And lay there
Atop a bed arranged with excellent flowers.
Tulasī served him there,
Along with her dear friends,
With an offering of tāmbūla,
A foot massage,
Fanning,
And so forth.”
jñātvājñātvātha ye vai māṁ yāvān yaś cāsmi yādṛśaḥ |
bhajanty ananya-bhāvena te me bhakta-tamā matāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.11.33; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.24; Bhakti Sandarbha: 201, 312)
“Having understood, or not having understood, me as far as I am, for who I am, and of what nature I am, those who worship me with a one-pointed (ananya) bhāva are considered by me the best of bhaktas.”
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje |
ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.6)
“That [dharma] because of which causeless and unobstructed bhakti to Adhokṣaja [i.e., Bhagavān, lit., ‘he who is transcendent’] can come to be, and by which the self [i.e., the mind] becomes fully satisfied, is alone the highest dharma for humanity.”
